Tuesday, January 31, 2006

But what about the people who DO the work?

“We began the new year with terrific news. Gov. Ehrlich announced earlier this month his proposal for a 12.5% increase in general funds as part of the University System of Maryland’s FY 2007 operating budget. If approved by the Maryland General Assembly, this would mean a $101-million increase in state support.”

[ . . . ]

“Our total FY 2007 operating budget, as approved by the Board of Regents, would allow USM to advance several priorities shared by the university system, state officials, and the citizens of Maryland. Specifically, the budget would:”

provide funds to enhance our institutions, including the University of Maryland, College Park, as the state’s flagship university; and the system’s historically black institutions—Bowie State University, Coppin State University, and the University of Maryland Eastern Shore;

build the state’s capacity for education and research leadership in public health, the biosciences, nano-technology, and other critical fields;

provide the seed funding our institutions need to launch a $1.5-billion campaign to attract the private funding required to support quality, access, and affordability.”

That's it — in a year that the Gov (no friend to public higher education) allocated a 12 1/2 percent budget increase to the University System of Maryland, Chancellor Kirwan fails to mention UM staff at all.

What does it tell you when an institution takes a 12 1/2 percent boost while offering staffers a 4 percent raise? Kirwan and the Gov have spelled it out, in their world — you don't matter.

Remember that there are literally hundreds of University of Maryland employees who qualify for public assistance. The taxpayers will have to pay them one way or another . . . but not from the higher education budget.

2 Comments:

Read the Diamondback and many things will become clear. This is from today's edition: 02/28/06.The University needs more space. This is clearly more important than exorbitant raises for staff.

The university needs 800,00 more square feet of laboratory space and 40,000 more square feet of classroom space to fully accommodate students and faculty, he said. The university currently has sufficient space for only 71 percent of the 35,000 students on the campus, Mote said.

Read the Diamondback and many things will become clear. This is from today's edition: 02/28/06. The University needs more space. This is clearly more important than exorbitant raises for staff.

The university needs 800,00 more square feet of laboratory space and 40,000 more square feet of classroom space to fully accommodate students and faculty, he said. The university currently has sufficient space for only 71 percent of the 35,000 students on the campus, Mote said.